A Smarter James and Lily
by rojekera
Summary: What would happen if James and Lily took the threat to their family, posed by Voldemort and the prophecy, more seriously.


A Smarter Lily and James

JKR is the owner of Harry Potter , I am just having fun.

James was renown throughout Hogwarts for his pranks and Lily was known for her intelligence. When Dumbledore told them that Voldemort was after their son, they decided that they would use every resource and trust no one but themselves.

Dumbledore suggested that they hide under the fidelus charm and after learning how to cast it themselves they agreed with him. He also asked that neither of them be secret keeper, as that would restrict the ability to give the secret to new people, they smiled and agreed with him.

When they performed the charm on the Godric Hollow house, they switched to Peter quietly, leaving everyone else, including Dumbledore to believe that Sirius was the secret keeper.

What they did not tell anyone was that they cast a second fidelus over an underground bunker in their back yard, with Lily as the secret keeper for that location. They then made a passage from the bunker to the main house, with heavy doors at two points. They put anti-personnel explosives, operated by remote control, in the main house capable of shredding a person in any room. They figured, that if attacked they could retreat without exposing themselves. As a joke, James animated three mannequins, and transformed them to look like Lily, Harry and himself. They even put some motion sensors around the building, hooked up to lights inside. They used non magical methods, as they believed that the group after them would look for magical traps.

They spent most of their time in the bunker, only going into the main house when visitors came. The night that Voldemort came, they were in the bunker, with the mannequins moving around inside the house. Voldemort went after the mannequins, not realising that they were not humans. As he moved into the house, James set off the explosives, blowing Voldemort to pieces.

As they were not above ground, they did not see the spirit escaping. However, after they returned to the house, the vanished the mannequins, Voldemort's body, clothes and his wand. They decided to let it be known that Voldemort's was injured, allowing people to believe he was in hiding whilst recovering. without revealing their involvement. They believed that if they claimed he was dead, his followers would hide, making it difficult to arrest and convict them. However, if the public believed him to be injured, and could possibly return, the public would seek to convict all the guilty followers, rather than leave any free to rejoin him in his reign of terror.

Very early the following morning, they went to Diagon Alley and stuck printed leaflets on the walls of various shops. The leaflets stated that Voldemort was injured and in hiding and now was the time to go after his supporters, it also included calls that all suspects be required to swear magical oaths that their responses to questions were the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. or alternately, they be given truth serum. They also wanted all suspects tried in public, and asked a series of questions including the following:

Did they join Voldemort willingly

Whether or not they joined him willingly, what crimes did they participate in.

Did they commit any crimes whilst not under the imperius

Name all other persons who helped them commit these crimes, or who they knew to support Voldemort.

Describe what dealings they had with Voldemort.

They had told no-one of their encounter and had repaired the damage to their home, including replacing the explosives. They did not want to call attention to themselves, and they realised that Peter who was their secret keeper would now be in hiding from both his fellow death eaters and from them. There were death eaters in prison or awaiting trial and if the suggestions on their leaflets were followed, the names of death eaters would include Peter's. At that point, they would reveal his animagus form, to increase the odds that he would be caught. If he sent any other death eaters after them , they would be caught in the same trap.

Two nights later, four death eaters turned up at the Godric's Hollow house. Ten seconds after they burst thru the front door, there were four less death eaters alive. Neither felt any remorse, as they decided that the fewer death eaters left free, the safer they and their son would be in the future.

When the four death eaters were killed, they came out of hiding and announced the attack, they could now proclaim Peter's treachery They contacted Sirius, and acted surprised about Voldemort's disappearance.

As time passed, the recommendations in the leaflets they had left were accepted and used. A large number of death eaters and sympathizers were tried and most were convicted. Included in that group was Lucius Malfoy, when he was asked about his dealings with Voldemort, he had revealed the diary he was given, this was confiscated, and upon investigation the Ministry realised what it was. A search was started for any others he had made, after it was heard he had also given a cup to Bellatrix LeStrange.

Years passed, and all the horcruxes were found and destroyed. By the time that Harry was ready for Hogwarts, Voldemort was truly destroyed and he was able to enjoy his seven years of school, without fearing for his life. His parents had told him of the prophecy and what they had done to Voldemort. In their opinion, the power that Harry had, that Voldemort did not, was the love and protection of parents. They considered that Harry had vanquished Voldemort as without the fear for Harry's life and happiness, they would not have acted as they did.

AN

Whilst the idea of using explosives came to my mind some months ago, I recently read a story Wisdom of a Seer, where a similar idea was used. As I read this story after I started on mine, I am not plagiarising that story.


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